This psalm is an acrostic. After the introductory "Hallelujah", there are 22 lines, each line beginning with a different consonant of the Hebrew aleph-bet. (Alter calls this a "short acrostic".) The psalm is naturally paired with the psalm after it, which is also an acrostic in 22 lines.
Psalm 111:1, Hallelujah
Praise the LORD.
I will extol the LORD with all my heart
in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
The psalm begins with hal·lū yāh (Hallelujah) meaning "Praise YHWH!" It then goes on to commit to publicly praising God among the upright and in the "assembly." The assembly is presumably a larger group of worshipers.
Psalm 111:2-3, Glorious and majestic
Great are the works of the LORD;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
God has power, majestic, wonderful works -- and righteousness. All these things are eternal. Verse 2 might appear to focus, possibly, on the things God has made while verse 3 describes his actions with humanity.
Verse 2, in the King James Version, "‘The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein" is written above the door of the University of Cambridge Physics research laboratory. (See this article on the joy in exploration of science and the universe.)
The last line of verse 3 is repeated in the next psalm, in verse 3; in that case it is describing the righteous man.
Psalm 111:4-6, Provider
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and compassionate.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
giving them the lands of other nations.
God cares about the frail humans He has created, providing them with food and displaying His power. Nationally, he gives Israel power over other nations.
Psalm 111:7-8, Righteous precepts
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
They are steadfast for ever and ever,
done in faithfulness and uprightness.
In addition to His material works, God is just, righteous, trustworthy. His works of justice are consistent and permanent.
Psalm 111:9, Redemption
He provided redemption for his people;
he ordained his covenant forever--
holy and awesome is his name.
In addition to these previously mentioned works, God has a covenant with His people, a covenant that provides redemption.
Psalm 111:10a, Beginning of wisdom
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
Wisdom begins with a reverence for YHWH and for His precepts. The first line of verse 10 repeats the first line of Proverbs 9:10. Similar statements occur in Proverbs 1:7, Ecclesiastes 12:13, and Job 28:28.
Psalm 111:10b, Summary
To him belongs eternal praise.
The psalm ends with a summary -- praise to God is forever, eternal.
Some Random Thoughts
To emphasize the acrostic nature of this psalm, I attach a copy of it in Hebrew (from Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 3rd ed., by Pratico and Van Pelt, p. 5.) Hebrew reads from right to left. The first letter of each line, given in red, is on the right margin and we can see each of the 22 Hebrew letters, beginning with aleph and ending with taw, run down the column.
First published October 18, 2025; updated October 18, 2025
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